1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention generally relates to urine specimen collection vessels, and specifically to a secure specimen collector which is designed to address the liability and security considerations of employee drug testing.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art:
Known urine collection containers are illustrated by the following U.S. Pat. Nos. ERICSON Des.221,911; OLSSON Des.231,273; MCDONALD 3,894,845; MCDONALD 3,943,770; CRIPPA 4,026,433; GRIFFITH 4,042,337; BURNETT 4,559.649.
The above patents generally relate to collection containers for obtaining urine specimens for medical analysis. The patent to GRIFFITH, for example, discloses a time collection device for urine, constructed so as to create an integrated specimen by means of a receptacle divided into bin sections. A removable manifold cover is adapted to fit on top of a receptacle portion, and the manifold has openings arranged to be in registration with each bin section, so that substantially equal amounts of urine enter each section, for separate rest purposes.
A P-Splitter.RTM. urine proportioning device recently was introduced by Helena Plastics of San Rafael, Calif. The device comprises a two-outlet funnel and a pair of taped-together specimen containers. The lid design of each container is of the locking type, but requires a special tool and is intended to be repeatedly opened for separate testings. Further, the funnel fits into separate entry holes in each specimen container, and these holes are merely plugged, with stoppers.
A QualEx.TM. urine collection and mailing system recently was introduced by LabelCo, Inc. of Minneapolis, Minn. The device comprises a single chamber cup, with a top that has a first, inner seal, a double seal under a cap, and a third pressure-sensitive security seal, around the cap. Any such single chamber device is considered too vulnerable to post-collection tampering. A second area of vulnerability involves use of pressure sensitive seals or tapes for the security sealing process. Adhesive seals or tapes can be removed and replaced without leaving clear evidence of unwanted entry into the sample container.
The present invention, by contrast, defines four chambers so that each one of a multiple series of tests actually is made upon a different chamber of a single container, without destroying the integrity of any other chamber. Once any single chamber container has been opened for presumptive testing, a reasonable doubt exists as to whether any foreign substance entered during the time interval between the presumptive, or first, test and any later, or confirmatory, tests.
The private and governmental sectors currently are placing an increasing emphasis on drug testing of employees, particularly for those individuals whose job performance affects the personal safety of other people, e.g., pilots, bus drivers, police officers, etc. Because of the severe consequences of a positive result, it is common practice to verify all positive results with one or more confirmatory tests. In order to assure that every analysis is made on the same specimen, it is extremely beneficial to have the original sample separated into multiple parts at the time of collection.
Modern drug testing procedures, therefore, require not only an integrated specimen for repeat analysis, but also a specimen of high integrity which the tester knows has not been accidentally contaminated or intentionally tampered with in any manner. It is essential that the employer be certain that the specimen being tested is that of the person for whom the request was made. There is a real threat of a legal challenge to a legitimate positive result due to a minor error of record keeping detail during collection or handling. If specimen integrity is to be maintained during testing of each aliquot of the urine specimen, there cannot be any intermixing of contents among the individual chambers, and there must also be a way to prevent aspiration of specimen from a chamber into the atmosphere, or into contact with the body of a technician.
None of the prior art urine collection vessels provide or suggest means for guaranteeing specimen integrity from the time of collection to the end of the analytical operations.